Master and Pupil 8/29/13
Participants Hayate Uzumaki, Hashira Hōzuki A New Alliance: Hashira: Hashira walked through the streets of Amegakure, searching her thoughts for anything she knew about her new sensei, but the only things that came to mind were what were written on the scroll that she clutched protectively in her hand. She saw no point in keeping it since the constant rain had smudged the ink beyond coherency and she had already read it an upward of 11 times. She continued walking until she came upon the training grounds, nearly soaked from head to toe. She had forgotten an umbrella, and she worried if Hayate would think less of her for being unprepared in that sense. She saw no signs of anyone let alone the man that matched her sensei's description, so she made her way to the centre fountain and took a seat on the side of it, brushing a strand of wet hair from her rained soaked face after seeing her distorted reflection in the rain spattered water. She sat quietly, her mind racing with a million thoughts going through her head. She wished she could find solace in a book but knew that it would only get wet if she took it out of her pouch- HayateUzumaki: Hayate stood outside the office door of the Amekage, his own father. The academy graduation had taken place recently, and several of the Amegakure students had been promoted to the rank of Genin. Having been away at the time, Hayate had missed the ceremony, but had returned recently and received the instructions to make his way to the tower, where he would be appointed a pupil. The meeting between father and son was swift, with Kagato handing Hayate a sealed scroll with the details of his student, before bidding him out of the office. Outside of the room, Hayate opened the scroll. Hozuki Hashira. Interesting, it had been a long time since Amegakure had seen a Hozuki shinobi. 13, blue hair. The never ceasing rains pounded on the windows of the tower as Hayate made his way down and exited the tower onto the streets. He loved the smell of the rain, the cleansing atmosphere. Although it was raining harder today than usual. Hayate looked up to the Amekage's office and half smiled, a rarity for him. Now, as for where this girl was, Hayate could only imagine he would find her at the training grounds. Closing his eyes and producing several hand seals, he burst into a flock of crows, the birds flying towards the training area. Seeing through the main crow's eyes, Hayate saw a girl who matched the description sitting there, looking somewhat downcast, as well as thoroughly soaked through. It gave him several flashbacks of his time as a Genin, and meeting his sensei for the first time, although it had probably been far less daunting as he had happened to know the man in question his whole life. To Hashira, he would be another stranger in the village, and she to him. The crows circled in the sky overhead for a few moments, before spiralling down to the grounds and slowly forming into the shape of a human figure, melding together before starting to produce Hayate's features. He looked up and down at the girl in front of him, a blank expression on his largely covered face. Hmm. She was taller than he would have expected, if only slightly. "Hashira, I presume?" Hashira: Hashira looked at the fountain, running a finger through it as she waited. She saw what looked like a black cloud in the reflection but realized that it was moving rather fast to be a cloud. She looked up, seeing a flock of rather menacing birds flying in an odd pattern before they moved towards her, coming to a screeching halt in front of her as the figure of a man formed from their molting bodies. She was frightened, altough not surprised. She hadn't realized it before but she now understood that these crows were the tell-tale sign of an Uchiha, her sensei. She knew from his lineage that he was half Uzumaki, half Uchiha and that this was a form of his jutsu. She stared in awe at the man that had now fully materialized in front of her before he spoke. She nodded at his question and answered quietly- Yes, and you are Hayate sensei? HayateUzumaki: He looked her up and down with his visible eye, the dark iris almost seeming to look into the very depths of her soul. "I am." His words were quick and blunt, the words of a man who did not waste his time with idle conversation. The rain continued to pour down, making the moments of silence between the two all the more tense and drastic. "So, you are a Hozuki?" Interesting indeed. There had not been a notable Hozuki shinobi in Amegakure for several generations now, at least not one of renown. Although, there was something about this girl. Although she was hardly the most physically intimidating Shinobi, Hayate could feel a drive coming off of her, a will to succeed. It reminded him of himself when he was younger, and before events in his life had made him the way he was now. The young were so naive it seemed, a blissful ignorance to the real world around them. But there was no pint in dwelling on the past. Hayate had been assigned a job to do, and as per usual, that was all there was to it. Hayate spoke up slightly louder, the sound of the rain making it more difficult than usual to talk normally, although he still retained the cold calm in his voice. "Before we begin, I will make it clear now, so there is no confusion. I am here to train you, not to be your friend. You showed promise at the academy, and therefore it is my duty to this village to prepare you to aid it someday, not because I feel some great personal need for companionship. I will not tolerate slacking or laziness. You wish to someday make something of yourself? Then you will give everything you have to that cause." Hashira: She listened to Hayate's every word, intimidated by his dictating voice and his over-bearing stature. She didn't know whether to respond or to just remain silent through his monologue that she felt came from some sort of past events in his life that made him so cold, but that meant nothing to Hashira. She had founded her love and hatred for others based on their attitude towards her and her sensei would be no different. She needed to be the best she could be and she knew Hayate could make her that and more. She nodded in compliance with what he said, speaking louder than before, her confidence rising in her still staggering voice- Yes sensei, I won't let you down. HayateUzumaki: The girl was understandably nervous; most would be in a situation like this. But she did have a fire within her, a confidence that Hayate could see would win her much merit with others. He held out his hand and there was a burst of smoke, the scroll from before appearing in his palm. He gripped the scroll before opening it, scanning it quickly. "I see you also know what is is to lose someone." He fell silent again for a few moments, running his eye over the lettering, before rolling the scroll back up and with the same burst of smoke, clearing it from view. "So. It would seem that you are bestowed with a talent for water manipulation." He looked up to the sky, the never ending rain still coming down in force. "Fitting for a place such as this." Interesting. He had been given a pupil who had no correlation to his set of skills whatsoever. Whereas Hayate relied mostly on Genjutsu and Taijutsu, she shone in neither, seeming even to be rather weak in the latter. Also, fire and water could not be more dissimilar. Had this been coincidence or had his father planned this? He looked towards a nearby wooden man, clicking his finger and motioning Hashira's view towards it. "Show me what you've got." Hashira: Hashira fell silent when Hayate had mentioned the death of her sister but quickly regained her composure when he had "complimented her" on her abilities. She could see that he was analyzing her with a teacher's eye, as well as a historian's. She looked in the direction he urged her to look and saw a target dummy in the distance. She immediately understood what he wanted from her and she turned to face the wooden man, pulling two senbon quickly from her pouch and concentrated as the rain from above began to swell on her skin and surround her hand. She took a throwing stance before spinning and whirling the senbon towards the dummy. However, not only did the senbon travel at an extremely quick pace, but the water that had surrounded her hand had also began to envelope the wooden mass that the senbon had plunged into- I can't immobilize a test dummy.. I apologise sensei. -She looked up at him, her icy eyes having a hint of apologetic tone, with the confidence that she knew the technique would have had greater effect on a moving target- HayateUzumaki: Yes, even without reading up on her past, she had the look of someone who had seen how life truly was before. Even at a young age, life had no qualms about treating you differently from anyone else, and it was what either made people, or broke them. At the same time, the senbon whirled through the air and struck the dummy. Well, if anything she clearly had a good throwing arm. But she was right, while accuracy was important, it could not be improved against an immobile target. Perhaps if they were activated....no. While mobile, they would be slow. If she wished for a test of her accuracy skills, then he would give her one. He slowly began to lift his left arm, the long sleeve covering it. "Karasu." he murmured, before several crows shot out and took to flight, circling around the arena and cawing. Hayate looked to Hashira. "This is not only a test of your accuracy, but of your precision and decision making. Five of those crows are clones. One is real. A Shinobi’s perception is one of their greatest weapons, and a valuable asset should you be faced with a situation where all is not as it seems. I want you to hit the five clones with as best accuracy you can, without hesitation." Hashira: Hashira looked at Hayate quizzically, watching as the crows took flight in the sky. She wanted to project her chakra into the rain in order to seek out the real crow...but she knew she couldn't do this at their distance from her. She also knew the real crow would cast no shadow due to the clouds in the sky and an abundant lack of sun at any given time in Amegakure. She needed to think of something and fast, the clock was ticking and she couldn't keep Hayate-sensei waiting any longer. She had an idea but it was more blunt than she thought he was looking for. She pulled two paper bomb laced kunai from her pack and steadied herself. She waited for the crows to be close enough together that they would each be caught within the two blasts that the clones would disperse without causing harm to the real crow. She saw an opening and twirled to the side in a similar way to how she threw the senbon, watching as the kunai travelled up and detonated at precisely the right moment. She waited as the cloud of smoke lifted to view the results, looking from Hayate to the sky and back to him, hoping he would be pleased with the results- HayateUzumaki: She was indeed a crack shot, and possessed a quick intelligence. When one took the path of the Shinobi, there was no right or wrong way to learn a technique or carry out a mission. Hashira had used her base initiative, which was more than some would have done. He had used the technique once before on a former pupil for the same test, and they had failed miserably, not showing the slightest shed of common sense of intelligence. She might just shape up to be a worthy student after all. As the smoke cleared, the real crow circled overhead. Jin, Hayate's summon, was a bird created for espionage. Hayate again stuck out his left arm and Jin proceeded to fly down to his master, perching on Hayate's left shoulder. The bird gazed of Hashira, cawing as Hayate stroked it's feathers. "Hmm...." He paused for a few moments, his eye going over her. "You did well." A very clever technique indeed, that it was. Especially given the lack of sun. She might make a good tracker someday. "Well. Your accuracy seems to fine, as do your decision based skills. Although I wonder." His index finger on his left hand lifted slightly, before the sky slowly began to turn crimson, leaving Hashira alone in the grounds as Hayate vanished in a blur. Slowly, on the horizon there formed a black mass, slowly getting larger and larger, to the point where on could make out the cluster was a murder of crows, heading straight towards them. There were hundreds in view, all ebony-black and cawing madly as they hurtled down toward Hashira. Hashira: Hashira was happy with the outcome of her technique and nodded as Hayate congratulated her. She brushed a small strand of teal hair from her face as she watched his hand raise before he was gone in a blurred exit. "Is training over?" she thought to herself but as the sky turned a blood red, and the raining ceased around her, she looked up to see cawing misshapen birds hurdling toward her. She made a dash for the nearest cover but realized it wouldn't be enough to stop an entire skyline of birds. They covered as far as she could see and she readied herself for the oncoming swarm. She laced her senbon with paper bombs and began launching them one after another into the sky, watching as countless birds met their demise. But for every bird that fell from the sky in death, another took its place, tearing and screeching as they made their way closer to her. She panicked, drawing in the puddles to her in order to construct a wall of water above her, hoping the added chakra she expelled to the outer side of it would act as a barrier, much like the chakra used to walk on water. She waited, knowing her wall wouldn't stand up to this many birds but held her ground, a kunai in both hands- HayateUzumaki: Hayate watched as Hashira's look of relief turned to one of panic. The beauty of using a Genjutsu in training was you could analyse just how your student was reacting. After all, Hayate was standing in front of Hashira, just as he had been for a while now. Of course, she wouldn't be seeing that, but he was there all the same. He watched her movements as she yet again combined two of her weapons and launched them at what she would be seeing, but in reality was simply the rain. Bringing up a wall from the puddles around her, she constructed a makeshift shield; smart girl. While the amount of chakra she carried at this moment would in no way to defend from a real attack like that, she was again showing promising use of initiative. By now, the crows would look as if they were swooping in for the kill, and in his eyes, Hashira had done well enough against the Genjutsu. Hayate closed his eyes and made several seals. "Ririisu." At his command, the Genjutsu dispelled, and her perception would have turned back to that of the training grounds. "Good work. The last student I used that on did not fare so well. Even if it is only an illusion, being eaten alive by crows is not pleasant." Hashira: Hashira looked around, the crows gone, and Hayate stand in front of her. His voice was muffled by the water between them but she could make out what he said. She dispersed the wall slowly as to not get drenched and walked over to him, brushing that signature strand of hair from her face. She understood now that it was only a Genjutsu and she felt foolish. She should have known that a sky of crows was nearly impossible to summon without it being an illusion, however in the heat of the moment, she knew that didn't matter. Your mind can't distinguish illusion from reality in a time of near death. Hashira nodded to Hayate, knowing she had done well in his eyes and that was an accomplishment in her books- Thank you sensei. HayateUzumaki: "Hmm." He paused in thought as the rain fell. Although she reacted well, she also took action as expected. Of all the tools in a Shinobi's arsenal, a Genjutsu could be the deadliest. The human mind was a fragile thing after all, and mental damage could be far more serious than physical after all. To function in any scenario, a Shinobi needed to learn how to defend themself against one. "Hashira. You need to learn to not rely on your weapons for everything. The greatest warrior is not the one who knows when to draw but his blade, but when to keep it sheathed. He does not seek confrontation, but will not avoid it when needed. You did well against the Genjutsu, but there are far worse out there, ones that could just as easily finish you off as any physical wound. You need to learn how to protect yourself against them." Hashira: She looked at him confused, she knew how to release herself from a Genjutsu, at least lower level ones.. but what did he mean by defend against them? She didn't have anything to do so yet, the only thing she could do was manipulate water on a lower level and use her weapons. But she supposed that if he had something in mind, she would listen- How could I defend myself against them? HayateUzumaki: "There are ways. A Genjutsu is after all, a technique to trick the mind into suppressing an individual's chakra. The weaker your mind is, the most susceptible you are. Train your body and especially your mind to recognise an illusion when you see it, and Genjutsus will hold little power over you. For the meantime, we will see what you can do to combat them." Once again, he made several seals and spoke. "Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu." The area around would turn into a dense jungle environment as Hayate yet again faded from view. "Now, your objective is to rid the Genjutsu." Hashira: Hashira sighed, another Genjutsu. She didn't know how to get rid of it, without use of a partner's chakra anyhow. She decided to try heightening her own senses in order to bring herself back to reality. She took one of the kunai that she had from before and lowered it to her arm, making quick jabs that would cause pain with little blood loss. She cringed, feeling the pain rush through her body. Opening her eyes, she saw the jungle begin to fade, seeing the large buildings of the village tower over even the tallest trees. She closed her eyes once more, focusing stronger on the image of the training grounds before opening them again to see not a jungle, but Hayate standing in front of her once more- HayateUzumaki: For a Genin, she showed much promise. While not possessing the aptitude yet for outright dispelling a Genjutsu, she again had showed intelligence in the form of inflicting an outside force on herself. Physical awareness was one of the ways a Genjutsu could be stopped. Still, she would have to learn how to stop one outright, if not outright with her will, then by focusing her chakra. "Good work. Well, I think that is enough for now." He was still sceptical, but it looked like his father had chosen well after all. She was a solid worker, which was evident. "We will resume training tomorrow. I expect great things of you. I will accept no less." With that, Hayate left the same way as he had arrived. His body dispersed into a number of crows, breaking away and flying high into the sky before heading towards the village centre. Even if he was not known for showing much emotion, he was pleased with his student. Something told him this would all work out for the best. End Result Hayate officialy met and began the training of his newly assigned Genin, Hashira. Hashira got to meet her new sensei and officialy begin her Genin training.